The Inheritance: Chapter 5 - Part II (Updated 11/14)

[magma067]

OMG best sims story i have ever read, never mind, best STORY i have ever read. u should send that into a publisher when u r done, they would so publish it, or send it to maxis so they could make a sim movie! Anyways, plz plz update soon

[CuriousSimmer]

Thank you!

Yes, an update is coming! It's midterm season at my university so I've been somewhat indisposed. But the wait shan't be much longer.

[magma067]

YES!!! an update! it feels like ive been waiting 4evr! luv the story, absolutly luv it!

[Leslie07]

I'm loving this story! Interesting update. Looking forward to more! :happy8:

[Baby_Cat]

great update, totally was not expecting that.
Love the story! :-)

[CuriousSimmer]

Sorry for the delay, y'all. Had some personal business to take care of. But without further ado I give you...

The Inheritance
Chapter 4 - Part III
September-October 1964

Marco arrived the day they took Dante off the pump. He wasn't able to speak much, and he spent much of his time sleeping, but the children were delighted to see their father alive and recovering. The truth be told, so was I.


"Was anyone else hurt?" he asked after Josephine and Marco gently embraced him. He reached for my hand and, not knowing what else to do, I let him take it.

"Marco, Josephine?" I said. "Can you give us a few minutes?" I waited for them to leave before moving my chair closer. He looked at me nervously and I squeezed his hand, forcing myself to remain calm. "Your assistant. Chiara. She...she died."

I felt his hand tense and he looked away. I released his hand. "I'm sorry," I told him. He shook his head and tried to smile, but he couldn't speak. I stood and went to the window. "The doctors wanted to know about her family, so, when you feel better..."


A few moments later, the doctor came in. I returned to my seat as he consulted the chart. "Signor Moretti. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," lied Dante.

"That's good. Your test results are encouraging, and if things continue to progress, you can go home in a few weeks."


I ended up having to rent one of the empty houses on the road to town, as the villa was still sealed for the investigation, and I needed somewhere for Andre and Lara, somewhere to put Dante when he got out of the hospital.

It was a lovely little house--smaller than I would have liked, but it would do. I split my time between the house and the hospital, getting the house ready and visiting with Dante. Marco, Josephine, Andre and Lara spent most of their free time at the hospital, so I didn't feel guilty about not spending more time there.

Two weeks later...


It was the first week of October and Josephine and Marco were preparing to return to their respective schools, she to Paris and he to the monastery. We had just finished eating dinner when I received a phone call saying that Dante would be coming home the following day.

"Who was on the phone, mom?" Josephine asked as I began to wash the dishes.

"The hospital. Dante is coming home tomorrow," I said tonelessly.


"But that's good news, isn't it?" she asked.

I forced a smile. "Yes, of course. It will be wonderful to have him home again." To be honest, I wasn't all that excited about sharing a bed with Dante. I was relieved that he didn't die; my warm feelings towards him extended only that far.

"Mom," said Josephine. "What's wrong? I know something is up."


I sighed and dried my hands on my apron. "All right, fine. Come over here," I said and moved over to the dining table. Lara's room was nearby and I wanted to be as far away from the wall as possible.

"What is it?" asked Josephine, settling into the chair near me.

I took a deep breath. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes, mother. You're hurt, I can tell. But why?"

"Your fath--Dante," I corrected quickly, "was having an affair with his assistant, the one who died."


"No!" breathed Josephine. "Oh, mom. What are you going to do?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Nothing yet. I'm not going to...not with Lara and Andre still in the house. I'm just going to...pretend I don't know anything."

"Is that really the best attitude to have?"

I frowned. "It's the best thing for you kids," I said simply.

Josephine looked at me, and I could see how shaken her faith in Dante was. The man who had raised her like a father, indeed the only father she had ever known, wasn't perfect. It was a moment that came in everyone's life, but it was coming sooner than I would have liked for my daughter.

But what I didn't know was...


...that moment was coming sooner for Marco, as well.

[Glamily]

Ooh la la! Heh.. wonderful update

[CuriousSimmer]

The Inheritance
Chapter 4 - Part IV
October 1964

Detective Lodario was summoned by a uniformed officer to a forest not far from my home on reports that there was a break in the case.


He tracked into the forest and found the scene where the officers had roped off a section of a glade. "What have we got, officer?" he asked the uniformed officer that had called him in.

"Single-shot rifle with scope."


When Lodario knelt down to examine the sniper rifle, the officer stood behind him and asked, "Do you think that's the weapon that did Senator Moretti and his lady assistant?"

"No," said Lodario. "I think it's some other sniper rifle that someone just happened to leave half-buried in a forest for no apparent reason."

"Really?" asked the officer.

"Of course not," Lodario snapped. "Get this to the lab for testing."

Meanwhile...


Dante arrived home from the hospital. He seemed perfectly capable of walking on his own, but did require frequent rests. He was less than impressed by the house I had secured for us to live in.


"It's small," he said as we approached. "There's enough room for the children?"

"Yes," I said. "It was the best we could afford with what I'm sure will be some hospital bills. It's fine, Dante, really. Come inside."


I heard him sigh audibly as we walked into the house. "I'll make lunch. Your doctor said you should have something light. Would you like a salad?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Whatever you like. I'm not hungry."

I paused, feeling somewhat disoriented. Of course he would be unhappy, what with his mistress dead. But he was home with his family; why was he being this way?


As I prepared the salad, I noticed him sitting on the sofa, looking depressed. My heart ached for him even as my rage boiled. I hated to see him in pain, but the very fact that he was mourning his mistress made me see red.


I set the bar, still watching him from the kitchen, my mind wandering.

Was Chiara more than just a fling? Is that why he was taking this so hard? My hands trembled on the silverware as I set the utensils out. Had he loved her?


I called everyone in for dinner. "Aren't you going to have something, mom?" asked Lara as she began to eat her lunch.

"No, dear," I said, looking down. The idea that my husband was so effected by the death of his mistress had struck me like a punch in the stomach. "I'm not hungry right now."


"You should eat something," Dante said tonelessly. "Keep your strength up."

"I'll eat later," I said with a forced smile. "Just...um, leave the dishes in the sink. I'll wash up when you're finished. I'm going to go hang up the washing."

That day...


The detectives investigating the shooting spent the day questioning my friends who had been at the party.

"Mrs. O'Reilly, did you see anyone at the party who was not present at the time of the shooting?"

Judith considered. "I can't think of anyone...I mean, it all happened so quickly. Well, Elizabeth was upstairs getting some seltzer--she wasn't feeling well. But other than that, nobody I can think of."


"Can you think of any reason why someone would want Dante Moretti dead?"

"I just...well...he's a politician, isn't he? All kinds of crazy people try to kill politicians. Get their name in the paper," she said uncomfortably.

"Were the Morettis facing any kind of personal problem? From a neighbor, or between them?"


Judith stared across the table at the detective for a few moments before blowing out a sigh. "Elizabeth told us...a few days before the shooting...that Dante was having an affair. But I'm sure she wasn't involved--she was in the bedroom the whole time."

"Thank you, Mrs. O'Reilly. We'll be in touch."


"And did Signora Moretti mention what action, if any, she intended to take against her husband?" asked Detective Dimetti.


"Not to me," said Eleanor.

"Nor to me," concurred Grant. "But she did seem to be rather obsessed with infidelity. She told my fiance--Lady Somerset, you know--that Signora Volante was trying to, er, seduce me." Grant blushed. "Bullocks, really."


"Your husband, Signora Giorelli, he fought in the Resistance, did he not? A sniper?" asked Detective Lodario.

"Yes, he did. But he couldn't possibly be behind this--he's in a coma," Angela said.


"But he's missing from the hospital, isn't that right?" asked the detective. "You filed a police report just before the shooting that he went missing and that your home was broken into. You said his rifle was stolen?"

"That's right. Come with me."


"This is where it was," Angela said. "I came home one day to find the door broken open and the rifle was gone. I knew I should get the police involved, it's a dangerous weapon."

"Yes, quite. And did you see anyone around the house?"

"No, no." Angela shook her head.


"Do you know anyone else who would know how to handle a firearm of that caliber?" aske the detective.

"Many of the men in the area fought in the Resistance," said Angela. "Or in the Italian army."

That night...


I had changed into my pajamas and let my hair down and was getting ready for bed when I found Dante sitting on the patio outside the master bedroom. Frowning, I opened the door and went outside.


"Are you all right?" I asked timidly, sitting in the other chair and folding my hands in my lap. "You've been quiet all day."

"I'm fine," Dante said automatically, not looking at me.


"Is there anything you want to talk about?" I asked, feeling my stomach fill with lead at the chance that he might say yes. But he simply shook his head, and my jaw unclenched. "If there ever is..."

"Betty, please. Can't you just leave me alone for awhile?"

I was surprised that he snapped at me, but I quickly recovered and stood up. "Good night," I said stiffly.


As I settled into bed, I imagined myself twenty years from now, settling into bed beside a husband that seemed to detest me. A husband that was longing for someone else, younger and more beautiful.

It wouldn't be the last night that I would fall asleep crying.

[CuriousSimmer]

The Inheritance
Chapter 4 - Part V
October-November 1964

The following Sunday, after church, Dante and I made a stop to the cemetery where we paid our respects to Chiara Castelli. He was unable to attend the funeral, being in the hospital, and I was unwilling. But it seemed like the least I could do to accompany him there on the way home from church.

After a moment, Dante said, "Can you give me a moment alone?"

Without a word I turned and walked to a stone bench along the path and waited for him.


Watching him kneel down in the grass, I was struck by a painful thought: would he ever mourn this way for me? I was his wife, the mother of his children, but here he was, mourning over the body of a woman half my age that he had known for less than three years.


He knelt there for some time before finally standing and leading me out of the cemetery. Could this be closure? Could it mean that Dante was ready to move on with his life and turn his back on his betrayal? I couldn't be sure.

Later...


We found Detective Lodario waiting at the house when we returned, and my stomach clenched. Perhaps they had found out who had killed Chiara and tried to kill Dante.


"Signor Moretti, Signora," he said. "May I come in and ask you a few questions?"

"Of course," said Dante, leading us inside.


"My questions are for Signora Moretti," said the Detective, eying my husband nervously. I suddenly understood; he was going to ask about Dante's affair. "Perhaps you would be more comfortable...waiting?" he said, looking at Dante.

Dante seemed to realize then what the Detective wanted to discuss and looked at me for a moment before saying, "If my wife doesn't mind, I'd like to stay."

I shrugged.


"Signora," he began nervously, not quite sure how to proceed. "I'm sorry to be blunt, but you are aware that your husband was having an affair with his Chief of Staff, Signorina Castelli?"

I nodded once, not trusting myself to speak, and Dante's jaw dropped.


"You knew?" he demanded incredulously, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I'm ashamed to admit that seeing him squirm gave me immense pleasure.

"Of course I knew, Durante," I said coldly. "Everyone knew. You didn't exactly keep it quiet, did you?"


"Betty, I'm--" said Dante, but I turned away, cutting him off.

"I'm sure you had more questions, Detective. What else would you like to know?"

"You were upstairs in your bedroom when you heard the shot?"

"Yes. I was looking for some seltzer. I wasn't feeling well," I said. I didn't have to add that being forced to interact with my husband's mistress made me nauseous. "I came as soon as I heard."


"Did you tell anyone else of your husband's...um...infidelity?"

I nodded. "My friends, the ladies I spend time with. But of course I trust their discretion. You don't think one of them...no, certainly not."

"Do you know a Signor Giorelli?"

"Yes," I said shortly.

"Can you think of any reason why he might like to hurt you or your husband?"

"Our family has had a long-standing feud, but I believe he is indisposed at the moment."

"We can't find him. He's missing. He is our prime suspect, of course, but if it turns out he's still been in a coma all this time, we'll move on to our next suspect."

"And who is that?"


He studied me for a few moments before looking back down to his notepad to finish what he was writing. "We'd rather not say until we're sure. Thank you, Signor, Signora, for your help. We'll be in touch."

Later...


It was two hours before Dante dared to venture into the bedroom. He found me on the patio, staring off into the countryside at nothing, my mind adrift. He cleared his throat and said, "Betty?"

I didn't turn. "Yes?"

"Can we...talk about this?"


Taking my silence for assent, he moved towards the wall and looked sheepishly at me. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I was so foolish. I can't believe...even now...meant nothing..."

"Don't lie to me, Dante," I said, trying to sound cold even as the tears shook my voice. "I saw the way you grieved for her. You grieved for her like you could never grieve for me."


"Don't say that, Betty," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You mean the world to me. I made a mistake, a terrible mistake, but I love you. I never stopped."


I finally turned my head towards him. "Of all the lies you've told me since you started this...this...betrayal of yours--" I gave an involuntary sob. "--that was the worst."

He seemed to want to argue, but bit back. Finally he asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Do?" I echoed incredulously. "Do?"


"A divorce?" he asked timidly.

"If that's what you want," I said coldly. "I have no desire to dissolve our marriage, if only for the sake of the children. But you certainly have found a way to put their needs, so if that's what you really want, I won't protest."

"No," he said quietly. "I love you, Elizabeth. I want...I want to prove it."

I turned and walked back into the house.

Meanwhile...


Lodario and Dimetti met up in their car, where Dimetti reported his findings. "I found Giorelli. A woman dropped him off at a hospital in the next town. He was never out of his coma."


"So it couldn't have been him?" said Lodario thoughtfully. "Then our best suspect is...the Signora."


Dimetti nodded thoughtfully. "The district attorney has already provided a warrant."

Back inside...


Dante followed me out into the living room, urging me to stay and talk with him, but I caught sight of something out the door window and stopped dead.


The detectives were strolling up the walk towards the house. I frowned thoughtfully and glanced sidelong at Dante before opening the door for them.


"Signora Moretti," said Lodario. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with us. You're under arrest."

"What?" I demanded, my eyes widening in shock. "No, on what charges?"

"Murder," said Dimetti as he reached for my arms.


Dante intervened. "No, this is a mistake," he said, but I could tell he was as confused as I was.

"Detectives, please," I whimpered, alarmed at the desperation in my voice. "Please, can we do this outside? My children might see..."

"As you wish."


They put me in the car, locked in the back seat like a criminal. I looked towards my husband, who was silently watching the ordeal from the sidewalk. I expected to see him looking upset, but he had no discernible emotion on his face.


He stood there and watched as the car drove off.

Two hours later...


The police questioned me for two hours before I went in for processing.


I was fingerprinted, photographed, and subjected to a full search by a female matron.


They took my clothing, my hair ties, my belt, and my shoes, and issued me a prison uniform before taking me up to the cell block.


I couldn't help but to think that the route was deliberate. My cell was right next to the prison's electric chair, and we paused there for a few moments as the detective fumbled with the key.

"Your husband will come by with your attorney tomorrow," said Lodario absentmindedly. Finally, they managed to get the door open. but I couldn't force myself to move.


Was this my fate? To pay for the sins of another in the electric chair? A chill ran up my spine as the detectives pushed me into the cell. The door clanged shut with an air of finality.


No matter my fate, I would have much time to contemplate it as I sat in the cold, dark cell that I could now call home.

[magma067]

I LUV UR STORY!!!!! when's another update coming? I was so happy I read all of this update right away and i cant wait to find out what happens next!

[Zorom]

It's Paolo! I know it!
How can they arrest Elizabeth? They have no evidence!!

[CuriousSimmer]

The Inheritance
Chapter 4 - Part VI
November 1964

The following morning...


After spending a long and sleepless night in my cell, I woke for breakfast with the half-dozen other inmates. Afterward, we exercised and then showered, and I was told that I had a visitor.

I walked into the room and saw my husband and a stranger standing there. I walked towards the glass, and Dante looked up at me with cold, distant eyes.



"How are you?" he asked stiffly.

"Fine," I lied, my eyes steeling in response to his coolness. "The children...?"

"They're with my mother. I'm trying to...isolate them," said Dante evasively. "They don't know anything."

"Thank God. Who is..." I turned my eyes towards the man behind Dante.


"Horatio Vespuci," the man said, introducing himself. "I'm your lawyer."

"Oh," was all I could say. So this was really happening.


Dante cleared his throat and made to stand up. "I'll let you two strategize," he said.

"Dante, please," I said, my voice trembling. "Please stay."

"Elizabeth, I have work to do," he said stonily. "Hiring a new Chief of Staff not least of all."


I caught my breath. I couldn't say anything as I watched him stand and offer his chair to Horatio. He turned and watched me for a moment while pulling his coat on.

No matter the outcome of this ordeal, I knew that I was already tried and convicted in the eyes of my husband.

"Now," said Horatio. "Let's talk strategy."

Meanwhile...


When Josephine returned to school, she was delighted to find that Donovan was a student there also. He was studying business management, so their coursework never overlapped. Through the ensuing weeks, they caught up on the comings-and-goings of their lives...


...and rekindled the romance that they had shared years before.


For Josephine, she was entering the happiest time in her life, thankfully unburdened by my marital problems. And at least for my daughter...


...life would only get better in the foreseeable future.

The following week...


Every criminal trial has the makings of a fairy tale. And though the people in the roles changed, there were certain archetypes in these stories.


There is a prosecutor, charged with building a case against the accused...


...and a defender who acted as a shield for the accused.


There are victims who survive and victims that are no longer with us...


...and a judge whose job it is to rule justly.


For Judge Vicenzi, who was familiar with the archetypes, it was not clear in this case just who was the villain, and who was the hero. He hoped that, before all was said and done, he knew just who was which.

[Glamily]

Oh la la! Hehe.. I love this story I really do

[rachel631]

Hang on... but for a criminal trial you have to prove beyond reasonable doubt... how can they do that with no fingerprints or physical evidence, or even proof that she can shoot straight? NOT FAIR! :cry:

[CuriousSimmer]

It's all circumstantial!

Thanks for commenting, guys and girls. I really can't say how much it means that you're enjoying my little yarn.